Spring-plate for horsess feet



N0. 620,740. Patented Mal. 7, |899. M. A. CHURCHILL.

SPRING PLATE FOR HORSES FEET.

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(Application led Dec. 27, 1898.)

(No Model.)

f2 E Illll @wu/mm@ f Q6 56M@ NITED STATES PATENT OEEICE.

MILES A. CHURCHILL, OF VALLEY CITY, NORTH DAKOTA.

SPRING-PLATE FOR HORSES FEET.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 620,740, dated March 7, 1899.

Application filed December 27, 1898. Serial No. 700,377. (No model.)

To CLZZ whom it may oon/cern:

Be it known that I, MILEs A. CHURCHILL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Valley City, in the county of Barnes and State of North Dakota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Spring Plates for Protecting Horses Feet; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains tomake and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in devices for use in protecting horses feet against jar or injury, especially when the animal is driven over hard or stony ground, and also for holding Sponges or other absorbent material containing either water or medicinal compounds into contact with the frog or sole of the foot when such treatment may from any cause be considered necessary or desirable. I

The invention has for its object the provision of a simple and inexpensive plate of steel or other resilient metal of concavo-convex form, which may be quickly and easily attached to the shoe upon the hoof of the animal without the necessity of either loosening or removing the shoe, the plate being of such form as to permit of its being retained in place by the toe and heel calks of the shoe and when in place to leave a space intervening between the bottom oi' the foot of the animal and the body portion of the plate, thus avoiding contact with the foot, which might result in irritation and possible injury. The space intervening between the plate and foot of the animal is well adapted for use as a chamber within which to retain a sponge saturated wth water when it is desired to keep the hoof or foot moist or to retain medicines when the foot is being treated medicinally.

To these ends and to such others as the invention may pertain the same consists in the peculiar construction of the spring-metal plate, the form and relation to the plate of the springt-metal supporting rods or frame,

and in the provision employed whereby the toe and heel calks upon the horseshoe are made to serve as retaining means for holding the plate in position.

The invention is clearly illustrated in the accompanying drawings, which, with the let ters of reference marked thereon, form a part of this specification, and in which drawings-'- Figure lis a bottom plan view of the plate, the same being shown as it appears when in position upon the under face of a horseshoe. Fig. 2 is a central vertical section taken thro ugh the shoe with plate attached, the shoe in this ligure being shown as turned bottom upward. Fig. 3 is an end elevation of one of the heelcalks removed from the shoe in order to illustrate the beveled recess that is provided for the reception of the plate.

Reference now being had to the details of the drawings by letter, A designates a plate of steel or other metal of aspring nature that may be found to be adapted to the purpose. This plate A in general contour as to its outer periphery is in the form of a horseshoe. At intervals slits B B extend inward from the outer edges of the plate, and the form of the plate in cross-section, as shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings, is concavo-convex, itbeing conveXed outward or downward from the lower face of the horseshoe, to which it is attached, thus leaving a chamber or space C intervening within the horseshoe and beneath the foot of the horse to which the shoe is attached.

The plate A is detachably held to the shoe by means of the recessed toe and heel calks upon the shoe, said heel-calks D being upon their inner sides provided with beveled undercut spaces, as shown at E', Fig. 3 of the drawings, and the toe-calk D having the sim ple recess E. In order to more eftectually support the plate and to assist it in withstanding violent shocks, especially when the plate is used upon the feet of very heavy horses, I provide a frame F, consisting of wires or rods of iron or steel, the wires or rods being twisted together to form a central body portion and the ends being bent outward and extended upward, where they enter loosely holes in the bottom of the horseshoe, as shown clearly in Fig. 2 of the drawings. This method of attaching the supporting-frame will allow IOO of its being quickly and easily removed when for any reason its removal or replacement may be desired.

From the foregoing description the use of the device and the means of attaching and removing the plate will be at lonce evident. The beveled form of the retaining-recesses in the heel-calks and the simple recess in the toe-calk, within which recesses are held the outer edges of the plate orlips extendingoutward from the said plate, permit of the plate being readily sprung out from the recesses, it being simply necessary to insert the blade of a knife or other tool between the rear face of the toe-calk and the periphery of the plate, when by a simple pryingmovement the plate may be sufficiently sprung inward to permit the edge beneath the toe-call; to be withdrawn from its retaining-recess, and the rear edges of the plate may then be as readily removed from their seats beneath the heel-calks. The

spring nature of the plate will also as readily permit of the ready replacement of the plate without removing the horseshoe from the foot of the animal.

Having thus described my invention, what l cessed toe-calli and heel-calks provided upon their inner faces with undercut beveled recesses to engage the edges ot' the said plate, substantially as described and for the purpose specified.

2. In a device of the character described,

Na concavo-convex plate of sheet metal corresponding in outward form to the contour of a horseshoe and having a series of slits extending inward from its outer edges, in combination with a horseshoe the toe and heel calks of which are provided with recesses as described, for retaining the edges of the plate, and a supporting-frame for the plate, said frame being detachably connected with the `under face of the horseshoe, substantially as Vspecified and for the purpose described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

Jos. J. BARGLAY, R. A. MATHUsoN. 

